If the trunk of a tree does not exceed a foot in 

 diameter, we must cut a stump a foot long, re- 

 taining the bark, with its thorns or spines, if it 

 have them. If the trunk exceed a foot in diameter, 

 we may choose a middle-sized branch for a speci- 

 men, if it do not differ from the trunk; but if it 

 do, we cut the trunk longitudinally, so that we 

 have one half, or one quarter, of its circumference, 

 but always from the pith to the bark. 



When we meet with palms, ferns, or any other 

 monocotyledonous tree, we must procure a stump of 

 a foot long, whatever the diameter may be. If tfye 

 palm be branchy, which is very seldom the case, 

 we must cut the trunk six inches below the rami- 

 fication, and six inches above. Travellers are 

 particularly requested not to neglect any oppor- 

 tunity of collecting palms, tree-ferns, dragon-trees 

 (dracaena), pandaneae, or trees similar to these. 



In cases where it is impossible to have a portion 

 of the trunk sufficient to convey an idea of its size, 

 as the baobab, or the ceiba, we must take an exact 

 note of the dimensions. The specimens of wood, 

 when fresh cut, should be put to dry in places 

 which are neither too dry, nor too warm, to pre- 

 vent them from splitting. 



Roots are only worth the trouble of collecting, 

 when they present any thing remarkable in their 

 structure, and then we take the same precautions 

 as for woods. 



